Pokemon Ranger: Almia Castle
by When Time Flies
Summary: I was a Ranger Student; or try, was. Next thing you know, I'm out on an adventure to save Almia Castle. With my best friend. Too bad I may get killed in the process. Living a life as a Pokemon Ranger me.


I wake up to the burning smell of my mother's eggs. Today is suppose to be my first day of Ranger School, even though I keep telling my parents I want to be a Pokemon _Trainer_. My dad got a promotion job in Vientown, so I was forced to move here with them. My mom said she tried for a Top Ranger but never made it that far after she met my father. My mom explained that she met Dad at Ranger school, so I don't know if they're hoping for me to follow in their foot steps or something.

I pull off the heavy sheets and make my way down the stairs. I find my mom balancing the eggs on one hand and the phone in the other. I walk right past her and sit down and the table. I bury my head in my hands and hope that maybe when I wake up, we'll still be in Sunnyshore, eating some pancakes while looking out across the sea.

But of course, when I look up I'm still looking at the wall with the pink roses, still in Vientown, and my parents still making me go to Ranger School.

Great.

--

I finally finish my breakfast and get dressed. I wasn't hoping to have a great day or anything, but I'd at least try not to make a fool of myself. I didn't have alot of friends back in Sunnyshore, but it's always better to have _some_ to _not at all._

I grab my bag and hurry down the stairs, careful not to trip over my mom's Infernape in the middle of the floor. Infernape was my mom's old Pokemon Partner. I wonder what partner I would get. Maybe a Cranidos, hopefully.

When my mom sees me, she drops everything she's doing (literally) and rushes over.

"Lewis! Wow, you look so... so... masculine!" My mother clapped happily.

Masculine? Was I _girly_ before?

Who knows.

"Dad would be really happy to see you like this. My, does this bring back memories! I remember the first day, I met my best friend Devon. I don't know where she is now.... but I remember meeting your dad! Wow! What a day-"

I cut her off, "Mom, I'm gonna be late" and add a sad sigh for some effect.

"Now, now, you're going to become a wonderful ranger!" she said hugging me tightly.

Yah, a wonderful ranger. I can't even put on a band-aid.

--

I walk out the door, looking at the sky. It was blue, but with specks of clouds make it look like a baby threw up little chunks of its dinner on it. I make my way down the path to Ranger School, looking down at my feet. I'd been walking with my head down ever since I was born. If I ever tried to walk with my head up, I ended up tripping.

I arrived at the school, right before it started to sprinkle. A teacher was waiting for me at the door.

"Welcome! What's your name?" she said happily, reminding me of my mother.

"Lewis" I replied, forcing a strained smile on my face.

She led me around, making me do an exercise with the Capture Styler.

"Well.. um... you did pretty... good"

Gee, thanks, I thought.

Afterward she showed me around the school with a couple of other students tagging along. The building was relatively large, including the fact that it looked pretty small from the outside. The students looked professional, and the teachers bright and happy with smiles spread across their face. I felt myself smiling with my mouth, but not with my eyes. Every room was sweeped and smelled like fresh peaches.

The guide finally led me to a room, with a woman with dark red hair in front of the class with her back to us, and students staring at me while I walked toward the center of the room.

"Hi Hi! My name is Ms. April. And you are..." She said as she shuffled through some papers looking for my name.

"Lewis." I finished for her. I saw one kid smirk but quickly stopped after someone else gave him a glare.

"Welcome to Ranger School! Here, we make dreams come true. Whether you want to be a Ranger, Operator or Researcher; we will still help you succeed," she briefed me on the rules and then told me to sit next to a boy, his face looking like he was scared half to death. His blond hair and blue eyes reminded me of one of those kids who were in the Poke-Cream TV comercial. His pale skin made him look ghostly, almost.

I sat in my seat looking around the class to see who I was going to have to deal with for the next 2 years. The boys were on one side of the room and the girls on the other. The girls all looked patient and ready to learn, and the boys fiddling with their school stylers. I sighed but felt a sharp stab in my the side of my stomach.

I looked up to see myself staring. The person who shoved their pen in my side was a girl with thick, big curls that were so black it almost looked like there was a tint of blue. Her sapphire eyes reminded me of my dad's cooking apron, but they were still breath taking. Her flawless face was in a hard stare as she motioned to the notes on the board. I realized Ms. April was wanting us to copy them down. I quickly pulled out my notebook, but was left struggling to find my pen. The girl pulled out a pen and handed it to me, our hands touching for only a moment.

--

The next year went by so quickly. Jason, the boy who say next to me was one of my best friends at the school. Thalia, the girl who gave me her pen was really nice, but she didn't let you go without a competition. Us three quickly became friends and spent practically every moment together. Our different personalities kept everything fun and entertaining.

Jason wanted to become an operator. His dad was working closely with Professor Rowan in the Sinnoh Region and he was the one who inspired him to become an operator. He was really shy in front of strangers, but with me and Thalia he was really outgoing and funny.

Thalia wanted to become a ranger. She came from Eterna in the Sinnoh Region, but her mom made her move here a couple years ago for some strange reason. She was really smart and made every activity we did together a competition. But she was still a really good friend.

Me, on the other hand, still had no idea what path I wanted to take.

--

By the time graduation rolled around, me and my classmates became almost inseparable. We had a lot of memories we shared and the fun times seemed to pass by so quickly. The week before graduation, Ms. April asked for me to see her after class for a conversation.

"Lewis, sit down."

I sat down to the closest chair I could find, careful not to make it rub against the wood floor.

"It's been almost _2 years_ and you still haven't decided what you want to become. A researcher fits your personality. Though you didn't get a very good grade in literature...." She coughed before she resumed. "What do you think?"

I pondered on what to say next. I thought of Jason and his dream to become a operator. No, that job was definetly not for me. I could barely type on the computer. A researcher, maybe like Ms. April had said. She was right though, I didn't get a very good grade in literature or math. Thalia instantly came to my mind and her dream to become a ranger. Saving people and Pokémon. I would get to run around Almia for free and maybe even become a Top Ranger. Ok, that was kind of going a little far, reminding myself I still had some troubles with band-aids now and then.

"Lewis?" Ms. April asked, snapping me back to reality.

"I think I've finally made my choice" I said slapping my hand on the desk. "I'm going to become a Ranger!"

She stared at me, maybe thinking I was joking. My mom told her about how I still had troubles with band-aids when I was little. We sat in silence for a couple of heart beats before she finally came to her senses.

"Um... Ok.. Well off you go to your dorm! And no fooling around!" I barely heard her after I was out the door. I wasn't about to waste my final nights in my dorm. In the past month, everyone had been staying up past the bed time limit and there was a party every night. I'd been enjoying my life more and more and was almost worshiping my parents for sending me to Ranger School.

That all changed at graduation.

--

I was pacing up and down the hallway with the other students. Everyone was really nervous, and really depressed. This was the last time we would all be together. Jason was to do a reading so he was rehearsing in the bathroom. Thalia, on the other hand was taking things really well. Even with me and Jason's gloomy personalities the past days, she was the string that was holding us all together.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I spun around to see Thalia.

"I'm going to miss you." She paused before adding quickly, "And Jason."

I was left with my mouth twisted and unable to speak. I realized this may be the last time I see Thalia for awhile. We probably weren't going to be in the same Ranger base and I was definitely not going to become a Top Ranger any time soon. She walked off with a wave before I could say anything. Her thick curls were barely visible with all the nervous students. I stared after her for awhile until Jason made me rehearse with him.

When graduation finally arrived, everyone was either yelling with happiness or crying (mostly the girls) that this was the last good time. I saw my parents in the crowd waving and clapping somehow at the same time. My body couldn't hold back a small tear.

The graduation ended with Jason's speech. He had written it himself and it was actually pretty good.

"In the last 2 years of every student's life at the Ranger School, we have shared the good and the bad. We fought over who would get the top bunk. Who would get the last cookie at lunch. We laughed about how one day we would be looking back and saying 'Ahh, those good times'. I guess that all ends today, when we finally found the strength to study hard and get some good grades. Everyone has some best friends that they could have maybe throughout their lives...." He made a paused before he continued. "So the Ranger School and every student wishes everyone good luck in their lives and maybe one day we'll have this hidden in our memory shelf and look back and say 'Yah, those good times.'" The last line made everybody stand up and clap. That was like our class motto said out loud.

We finished the rest of the day with one last party and shared class stories with parents and friends. Thalia and Jason joined me one last time, together in our Ranger school uniforms, laughing with the rest of the class.

Yah, those good times.


End file.
